Rock Climbing!

Hey Everybody!! These are the pictures from my Arkansas trip! It was sooo gorgeous! We drove up thurseday night and arrived at Horseshoe Canyon, near the Ozarks, around 1 or 2 in the morning. I really had no idea where I was at because it was pitch dark, so we set up camp and all went to bed. The next morning we had to wait a bit because it was raining, but by about 10 or 11 AM we got all our gear together (ropes, harnesses, chalk bags, carabiners etc.) and set out toward the most beautiful cliffs. Horseshoe canyon is actually a ranch mainly geared towards horseback riding. It has cabins and in the summer if you stay in those you get fed breakfast and do all sorts of activities. But that costs alot more. They let anyone camp there for five dollars a night. It is a huge canyon, in the shape of a (you guessed it) horseshoe. All of the sides are ideal for rock climbing. There is something like 400 different routes you can climb. The entire canyon is the ranch and there are animals everywhere. Horses and goats, dogs and a pig or two just wondered all over the place. Twice we woke up and there were horses investigating our campsite! The first morning I woke up early, and witnessed an actual stampede of horses running down a hill.
Anyway, we had a great time, enjoying the scenery, climbing, and camping out. There were so many beautiful wildflowers along the hiking trails and lots of little lizards etc.
I climbed alot better than I thought I would be able to. I was able to "send" (the official climbers lingo for getting to the top of a route) quite a few more advanced climbs. I sort of thought that I would be having trouble the whole time. Although I think my vegetarianism basically went out the window after climbing all day and then coming back to peanut butter and jellys! Saturday we went to a local restuarant in the nearest town and had the most glorious meal of our lives. I guess anything would taste good after two days of campfire food.
Well, I have to get dressed and go to class! Love you all!
Willow